Bolter Infected
Overview Bolter Infected is a special variation of the infection, distinguishable by their incredible agility. They are the only infected variant whose spawns are locked behind a specific wave, exclusively appearing from wave 7 onwards. Attacks By default, bolters will move at a regular pace until they are within a certain distance from a targeted player - at this point, they will break into an intense sprint, building up momentum and closing the distance before they pounce forwards and attempt to slash at the player with one of their front limbs. If allowed to remain within attacking distance to a player, Bolter Infected will continue to slash rapidly. Though Bolters deal minimal damage per hit, with un-armored players easily shrugging off individual hits, if allowed to remain close, they may be able to land enough hits to deal considerable damage, and so are not to be ignored. Bolters can easily outrun a player (unless they have drunk an Energy Drink beforehand) during their sprinting phase, although once they have leapt forward, they will return to their default speed. Their attack speed remains fast regardless of which phase the bolter infected are in. Appearance Bolter infected have the smallest silhouette out of all infected thanks to their strangely quadrupedal posture. Aside from their posture, they are visually identical to their civilian and sprinter counterparts, wearing the same clothing and sharing the same red-tinted eyes common amongst all infected variants. Weaknesses Bolter Infected trade their health for their unique movement style. As a result, headshots from even weapons as weak as the Ruger 10/22 or Aero Survival Rifle will dispatch them in one blow. Additionally, Bolters tend to announce their presence with their incessant and excessive screaming, their high-pitched screeching easily drowning out the moaning of any other infected. They will continue to scream regardless of what attack phase they're in, or what distance they are from their target, giving players a chance to identify them before they can close the distance. This screaming can also serve as an double edged sword however, as players who weren't expecting at close quarters them may be startled, affecting their ability to deal with them immediately. Tips * Bolters can easily be identified and picked off from a distance thanks to their distinctive silhouette and screaming. This may be difficult as they are a much smaller target than other infected, though players may take solace in the fact that their head hitboxes are no smaller than those of common infected, and that a single headshot from practically any weapon will finish them. * Even at their peak speeds, a player on an Energy Drink can easily outrun bolters. * Bolters are incapable of changing directions once they initiated their pounce - simple stepping to the side and moving perpendicularly to the bolter's pounce will allow players to dodge the attack with ease. * Bolter infected can be hard to distinguish from within a crowd and their short stature allows them to easily avoid head-level shots. Weapons with decent penetration can be fired at waist-level in the crowd in order to easily get rid of bolters, since thanks to their high speeds, bolters will usually be around the front of a horde. ** Alternatively, if the player has already widened enough of a gap between the horde and themselves, they can simply wait for bolter infected to isolate themselves from the horde when they attempt to sprint or initiate a pounce. From then, the player can dodge the attack and counterattack, or with enough reaction speed, can simply gun down the bolter mid-air. * Walking into the fire left by a Molotov Cocktail will almost instantly kill a bolter. If they manage to survive walking on a Molotov fire, they will take enough damage over time to die not too long after. Trivia *Bolter are also called "dog" by players due to the posture and move similar to a dog. *Bolter infected continue to scream excessively even when killed. **Has been made a running joke among some players due to just how excessively loud they are. *It has been confirmed by the Head of Creative Direction and Game Design, Ardwyck, that the Bolter strain of the infection is caused by scoliosis "among other things". **Scoliosis is a medical condition which results in an abnormal curvature of the spine, which in many cases results in a hunchback posture, similarly to the jockey from L4D2 and in extreme cases like in the bolter, forces the afflicted person so hunch so low they may as well be on all fours. *During April 1st, 2019, known as April Fool's Day, the bolters' screams are replaced by Tom's screams of chocolate from Spongebob. *Easily one of the most hated infected alongside the Bloater due to their means of attack often causing infuriating deaths on higher waves, especially when dangerously low on HP as they are often the first to reach and kill the player. Category:Infected